Chinese Acrobat Dies After Falling During Mid-Air Performance With Husband

A female acrobat died after falling during a live trapeze performance with her gymnast husband in the central Anhui province of China.

The woman, identified in local media as Sun Moumou, 37, plunged from a significant height onto the hard stage after her partner, Zhang Moumou, also 37, failed to catch her with his legs during the mid-air routine in a village near the city of Suzhou on Saturday.

She was taken to a local hospital for treatment but she died due to her injuries, the Yongqiao District government said in a statement accessed by CNN on Monday.

Online footage of the incident that went viral on social media showed the female gymnast falling on the stage shortly after the couple was pulled high into the air by a crane. The woman was seen holding onto her husband whose arms were wrapped around the long fabric hanging from the crane.

As the couple was hoisted by a cable to a height of about 30 feet, the woman wrapped her arms around her husband's head and held on to him during the act. Shortly after, she lost her grip and fell down to the stage as the crowd wailed. The husband failed to catch her with his legs, the video showed.

Another statement issued by the Yongqiao government said an investigation deduced the tragic incident as an accident, local media reported. A local farm business owner contracted the Anhui Yaxi Performing Arts Media Company to perform the acrobatic stunts in the village, the statement said.

The investigation also found that the performance company didn't get the necessary approval from authorities before the show and didn't provide essential safety gear and put emergency measures for the stuntmen. The use of a crane during the performance was also a violation of regulations, the investigation concluded.

The company was previously fined $7,000 for "holding commercial performances without approval" in 2021. Now, the company has reached an agreement for compensation with the acrobat's family.

The couple had been married for more than a decade and had two children together, according to The Paper, a state-run news website. While the couple were experienced acrobats, they often performed shows without safety lines "for the sake of looking good," The Paper revealed.

The couple had been fighting before the show and Sun allegedly denied wearing a safety line for her performance, What's on Weibo said, citing local reports.

However, Zhang denied arguing with his wife before the performance. "We were always happy together. There was no fight," the husband told Yangzi Evening News, as per NYPost.

China's Acrobats Association also issued a statement Sunday, expressing devastation and shock over the tragic accident. The association also called on acrobatic groups and performers to follow safety measures during their shows.